


Some Kinda Love

by IruIru



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex feels self-conscious about his body, Blow Jobs, Enthusiastic Consent, Feelings, Forrest is a good guy, M/M, Post 02x13, Small discussion of prosthetics, enthusiastic head, forlex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:54:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26308882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IruIru/pseuds/IruIru
Summary: Alex and Forrest retire to Alex's place after open mic night, and Forrest shows his appreciation with his mouth but not with his words.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	Some Kinda Love

**Author's Note:**

> This fic burned its way out of my soul over the duration of a RNM rewatch. Some things are OoC and messy, but I literally could not stop thinking about Forrest and Alex until this thing was done pouring out of me.
> 
> Golly it is difficult to write a character with so little canon personality! Here's hoping for some depth to Forrest's character s03.
> 
> Enjoy, Forlexians. Love to you all.
> 
> There is some discussion of Alex's prosthetic as well as his self-consciousness surrounding intimacy. In my brain words, this is because he's never really dated casually, let alone after his injury. He may have had some unsavory experiences pre-Forrest, is all, so that is where his uncertainty lies.

“Mm, I’m so glad you came tonight,” Forrest said after Alex had hung their jackets and turned back to face him. Forrest’s arms came around his waist, and after a moment of cautious hesitance, Alex accepted and settled into the embrace. They’d stayed for the rest of open mic night, worked through their free drinks, and, after a suggestion by Forrest that they extend their date, Alex invited the other man back to his house. It was an unusual move for Alex - it felt too intimate too quickly, but when he thought about returning to his empty home, the space a reminder of everything that had happened and everyone he had lost, he couldn’t bear it. Watching Guerin disappear had hurt - he knew well enough if he were left alone, he’d spend the night agonizing over what it meant, and he’d get no sleep; would probably wake in a pit of lonely despair the next day.

So he suggested he and Forrest retire to a quieter setting, and with the Long farm off the table - that went unspoken - Alex offered up his house. The possibility of sex was in the air: of course it was. There was an undeniable chemistry between the two men, and Alex was inviting Forrest into an intimate, personal setting - but Alex hadn’t yet decided whether he wanted to pursue it yet. Doing so had the sting of a rebound, despite the on-again-off-again nature of his relationship with Guerin, and Guerin’s relationship with Maria. Any rejection from Michael hurt like it had the first time, and it could make him do stupid, selfish things. Alex knew he wasn’t in the most grounded of mindsets, either: after his performance, he felt sharp, vulnerable,  _ seen _ . Rejected by Guerin but embraced fully by Forrest. He knew comparatively so little about the other man, but everything Forrest had done had made him feel welcomed and appreciated. And the hands lingering at Alex's hips were a clear indication of Forrest's interest.

“It was fun; I’m glad I did, too. Ugh, I still can’t believe I sang in front of that crowd,” he said with a laugh that bordered on hysterical. It was true: when he recalled that feeling of letting loose in front of the Wild Pony’s patrons, his heart fluttered with excitement. It had been freeing to be seen in such a way - and kissing Forrest in front of his friends, in front of strangers, in front of the world to see had brought an unexpected but heady rush. He rested his own hands on Forrest’s waist and wet his lips. Forrest was smiling a quirky smile, and Alex looked away as his face warmed. “Let me get you something to drink - water, maybe, after all those free drinks.”

He pulled away from Forrest and moved to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of tap water and returning to find the other man casually eying the sparse decór. “Thank you,” he said when Alex extended a glass. Silence reigned for a moment as the two took sips of their water, Alex uncertain and Forrest's gaze having clearly shifted to Alex himself. After the warmth and noise of the Pony, the silence seemed heavy and quickly growing awkward. Despite this, Forrest turned to face Alex, his body language relaxed and easy. “Alex,” he started, and his voice was quiet, but Alex’s ears roared. “Tonight’s been wonderful. I’m so happy to be with you, get to see your place, invited to come in close like this.” He paused, and Alex braced himself, preparing to be propositioned and by taking another sip of his water to hide his reaction. His mind was already catastrophizing his assent - the full reveal of his leg, the lingering awkwardness in bed after spending so many terrified years in the closet, explaining away his brusque nature and anxiety during sex without digging into his childhood trauma. A fleeting, desperate thought flew through his head: with Guerin everything was unspoken, everything understood; it was easy. His heart twisted in longing, and then regret, and then rebellion. He quashed that thought forcibly:  _ nothing _ about Guerin was easy. Shared trauma didn’t make a healthy relationship...and Forrest was still talking.

“If that’s all you want today, hey, that’s great. It’s perfect. We can talk about your amazing songwriting, or we can sit and watch a movie or something - I’m here because I like you, Alex,” He set his water glass down on a bookshelf and closed the short distance between them. His hands came up, resting on Alex’s arms: a safe place. “That doesn’t mean you have to take me to bed _ ,” _ he said, piercing right to the core of Alex's dread with a few words and a small smile.

Alex’s heart constricted, but he hid it well. He flushed in embarrassment - was he really so easily read? - and gripped his glass tightly, suddenly finding the condensation there very interesting. Forrest seemed to be making a real effort to make him comfortable, and Alex realized after another beat of silence that he hadn’t actually  _ said  _ anything since he’d gone to get the water. “Uh,” he said, and huffed a small, self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry, this is all kind of - I haven’t done a lot of dating, uh, recently,”  _ ever  _ is what lingered in the air. He met Forrest’s eyes again. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” he said, also true: Forrest was all warmth and invitation, charming and easy-going, laid back in a way Guerin and Alex himself could never manage to be. He made Alex want to believe he could be so sure in himself, too. And Forrest’s looks, his confidence, made Alex’s stomach twist with desire every time. Alex allowed himself a close inspection of Forrest’s eyes, of the dilated pupils, the dark irises, the motion of him tracking little unknown movements across Alex’s own uncertain face. He dropped his gaze somewhat, panning over Forrest’s cheekbones, nose, his lips; fixated there a little longer than intended.

He thought for a moment, about Forrest’s clear interest, his lack of rejection, the still-present touch on his arms, and decided to be honest rather than to retreat. He raised his hand to Forrest’s neck and laid it there gently. He caressed that stubbled cheek with a thumb and Forrest leaned into it immediately. His posture relaxed even further, and Alex felt a thrill of surprise and delight at the reaction. “Um, it’s just...complicated,” he finished awkwardly, raising his eyes again only to find that Forrest had closed his.

“Hm...I see,” Forrest said, and there was a timbre to his voice that hadn’t been there before. It sent warmth both to Alex’s already tingling face and down his spine. “Well, I’ll tell you right now what I want isn’t all that complicated,” Forrest said, and slid his hands to Alex’s waist - still higher than his earlier grip on his hips - and turned to press a small kiss onto Alex’s thumb. Alex found his gaze fixated on Forrest’s lips once again. They parted slightly, wetting Alex’s fingertip so lightly the only indication was the cold air that followed. “I mean, if we were to talk about something more than movies and lyrics,” Forrest murmured, those lips shaping around the pad of Alex’s thumb. Alex swallowed.

“What...what is it?” he asked, startled by the strained quality of his own voice.

Forests lips curled upward. His eyes flicked to Alex’s, whose heart pounded. “Well, if we  _ are  _ talking something more intimate than hanging out and cuddling, I'd want you to take me into that bedroom,” Forrest said, chin giving a little jerk toward the open door down the hall. “Or onto that couch,” His eyes flicked to the sofa in the living room, “and let me give you the most enthusiastic head you’ve ever had,” he finished, with a little bite to Alex’s thumb for emphasis. Alex blinked in surprise, his brain helpfully replacing the sight of his thumb with another piece of anatomy. He sought for words, but Forrest beat him to it. “It’s all I could think about, watching you tonight.” He stepped closer, removing Alex’s glass of water from his inattentive hand and setting it beside the other. His eyes scanned over Alex's face before he continued. “I wanted so badly to drop to my knees and show you just how amazing I think you are,” Forrest leaned in and up - well within easy kissing range, Alex noted - and said, “I still do. I wanna taste you, feel you, touch myself to the taste of you on my lips,” he said softly. Alex’s pulse trilled. There was a charge in the air between them, and an intensity in Forrest's gaze Alex felt himself wanting to match.

“That, uh...you’re right: that doesn’t sound very complicated,” Alex said, cursing his lack of eloquence. That smile sneaked its way across the other man’s face again, and Alex couldn’t help but chase it with a kiss this time. Forrest moaned softly as their lips met, and the kiss quickly became heated. Forrest’s lips parted easily for Alex, and the airman wasted no time in claiming the warmth inside. Forrest let out another small moan and pressed into the kise, those brown eyes sliding closed. Alex drew his arms down to Forrest’s hip. His fingers slid to the other man’s waistband, slipped beneath both sweater and shirt, and gently ran along the skin there.

“Ooh, Captain,” Forrest murmured with an eyebrow wiggle, startling a laugh out of the airman. He swayed his hips and dropped his own hands to pull the fabric of his shirt and sweater up further, revealing an expanse of skin that looked soft to the touch and a trail of hair that drew Alex's fingertips to it. The sweater was over Forrest’s head in moments, and Alex's hand followed its upward motion as more skin was revealed. His fingers left trails of goosebumps in their wake, and the sight was just as entrancing as watching Forrest’s breath stutter as he was touched. 

At the thought of that skin laid out before him, Alex’s heart leapt to his throat. He swallowed to get past the feeling. “I don’t want to disappoint you,” he said softly, as Forrest leaned in for another kiss. The other man deflected his lips up along Alex’s cheekbone, up toward his ear, and kissed him on the lobe.

“Alex,” he said with a small laugh, “there is nothing - and I mean  _ nothing _ you can do, or not do, that will disappoint me.” He put a hand over Alex's own, splayed as it was across Forrest's chest, and entwined their fingers. Alex let the words sink into him for several moments, as Forrest continued to worry his earlobe, tongue probing the old piercing hole there. A little nip of his ear and Alex made his decision, helped along by the steady, fast beat of Forrest's heart under his hand.

“Well, let me show you the bedroom, then,” he said. Alex wished he had something sexier to say, and that he'd cleaned up a little before leaving that morning. But Forrest didn’t seem to mind, as he pulled away, split his face with a grin and tugged on Alex’s waistband, backwards towards the bedroom door.

The bedroom, like the rest of the house, was still only partially unpacked, boxes sitting untouched here and there with Alex having no real motivation to settle in in a schedule. Forrest had no problem navigating the space, though, despite moving backwards and kissing Alex the whole way. Alex laughed a bit as they navigated a small pile of laundry and tumbled onto the bed like teenagers. They spent several minutes there, pressed close and making out, and slowly, Alex's reticence drained away. He still had a hand up Forrest's shirt, had been roaming the expanse of the other man's chest and around to his back, pressing him close. Forrest seemed mostly interested in Alex's hips, running thumbs along his pelvic bone, and cradling the sides of his neck and his cheeks while they kissed.

After some time, Forrest pulled back slightly and hummed, his lips already reddened in the dim light. "Can I go down on you?" he asked, gaze lidded and voice low. Alex's breath left him in a rush. He nodded, running a hand through Forrest's hair as the other man smiled and bent to kiss the hollow of his throat. He made his way down Alex's body languidly, pressing kisses to Alex's chest, stomach, and hips through his clothes. Forrest shuffled off the bed and kneeled on the floor, and Alex followed him to the edge of the bed without thinking.

"You don't want to be in the bed?" he asked with a furrow to his brow, propping himself up on elbows to watch the other man. Forrest, busy unbuckling Alex's belt and sliding the leather through the metal, shook his head and hummed a negative.

“I like it like this,” he said, his hands running up and down Alex’s calves, apparently unbothered by the soft flesh on one side and hard plastic on the other. “Is that ok with you?” he asked. Alex smiled softly and nodded again, reaching out to run a thumb down Forrest’s cheek.

“Yeah,” he said. “Of course, damn.” he laughed lightly. Forrest pressed forward to nuzzle the inside of Alex’s thigh, raised his eyes to meet Alex’s, his arousal gmclear in his gaze. Alex's own arousal was pressing against the zipper of his pants, a condition not alleviated when Forrest ran his hands up Alex’s legs, in along his thighs, and brushed fingers over the bulge in front of him. He cupped Alex through his jeans and pressed in and up, drawing a cracked moan from the airman and forcing both of Alex’s arms to return to the bed so he wouldn't fall back.

Forrest’s fingers nimbly released Alex’s button from its hole and drew his zipper down, rings clacking quietly against the metal. Immediate relief flooded Alex’s senses, as well as a desperate desire for further freedom and then  _ touch _ . Forrest’s fingers slid up and tugged at Alex’s waistband, even as he leaned to press a kiss along Alex’s trapped cock. Another moan tumbed from Alex as those lips made their way along his length, open-mouthed heat tortuous through the fabric of his underwear. He raised himself accommodatingly, pressing himself against Forrest's lips as the man pulled his pants and shorts down to his thighs, then caressed Alex’s bare skin as it dropped back to the bed. Alex’s underwear was still messily caught on the erection jutting between his legs. Forrest leaned in as he pulled the fabric away and let Alex’s cock bounce freely against his cheek. Alex felt flushed all the way down his body, and exposed although he was still essentially fully clothed.

As if sensing Alex’s discomfort, Forrest asked, “Shall I take off my shirt?” to which Alex replied a breathy  _ Please.  _ Forrest stretched up and back as he pulled his shirt off, providing Alex with a clear view of his chest and stomach and plenty of time to take it all in before the shirt was tossed aside and Forrest met his gaze again. He let Alex drag his eyes across his body for several moments, and Alex was surprised and pleased to see Forrest’s cheeks and ears redden under the scrutiny. Proof that even Forrest could feel vulnerable during intimacy was a balm to Alex's heated senses.

One of Forrest’s hands surreptitiously - or what would be surreptitiously if it wasn’t clearly done for Alex’s eyes - moved between his own legs and shifted the bulge there. He squeezed it and moaned wantonly, his eyes fluttering with pleasure. Alex swallowed and drank in the display. When his gaze returned to Forrest's eyes, he found those brown irises blown almost black. Forrest crawled back into Alex’s space to wrap one ringed hand around the airman’s cock and give it a good pump.

“Rings yes or no?” Forrest asked, his head canted to one side so he could press kisses along the shaft of Alex’s cock. And as hot as it was to think of Forrest jacking him off with those rings against his skin, Alex had no lube handy to ease the way, and so he said no. He was immediately grateful for his decision as Forrest made a show of pulling each of his rings off with his mouth, those lips wrapping around each knuckle and cheeks hollowing with each pull, his gaze locking Alex's own as he did so. He dropped the collected silver with a reach back to the dresser, and settled in between Alex’s legs, long fingers wrapping around the base of the airman’s shaft and tongue dragging a stripe across the tip of Alex’s cock. Alex’s breath left him. His eyes rolled closed and he inhaled a gasp as Forrest took him suddenly into the heat of his mouth.

“Damn, Forrest,” he said, voice strained. He opened his eyes to find brown ones watching him with interest. Forrest’s cheeks hollowed as he pulled back up again, dragging a deep groan from Alex. The airman didn’t get a chance to recover, as Forrest’s hand followed his mouth immediately, spreading saliva across Alex’s heated shaft while his lips sucked at the sensitive head. Another moment and the man was going down again, followed by a tight ascent. He slipped into a pace that left Alex breathless and wondering how the other man found the time to take in his own air. It was hot, fast, and messy.

Forest’s other hand dropped below to draw Alex’s balls into Forrest’s palm. He massaged them, tugged gently, rocked them forward and back in time with his sucking. Alex’s thighs shuddered with the retrained need to buck into Forrest’s mouth: he wouldn’t allow himself to do so without the other man’s permission. Sweat was pooling under his clothes, but he didn't dare ask Forrest to stop so he could undress. Alex's orgasm was quickly approaching and he’d done nothing but let the other man have his way. 

Forrest changed his pace abruptly, slowing on an upward climb and lingering at the head. His eyes were hazy when they met Alex's. Alex watched Forrest's nostrils flare with a deep breath before the man was changing his angle and dipping down again, this time farther than before, a careful descent until Alex felt his cockhead bump the back of Forrest’s throat, which constructed ever so slightly at the intrusion. A tremulous cry left Alex’s lips; a bead of sweat ran from his brow to his jaw. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the sight of his cock disappearing into Forrest’s mouth, those lips red and glistening, stubbled cheeks hollowed and trembling slightly with the effort of maintaining pressure for Alex. Those brown eyes had fluttered closed, and Forrest’s lashes quivered as he sat still and let Alex relish in the heat and slick of his mouth. Alex couldn’t help but reach out, propped as he was, to comb a hand through Forrest’s hair, gently sweeping blue-dyed strands away from where they stuck, sweat plastered, to his face. Forrest moaned at the contact, and sent searing pleasure up Alex’s spine. The instinct to thrust forward was all-consuming, desire stripped through every muscle in his body, but Alex resisted. He could see Forrest carefully drawing breath through his nose, and a deep affection for him swelled at the sight.

“Forrest,” he said, voice soft and heady. Forrest looked up at him, and Alex nearly came at the sight of tears pooling in the corners of those eyes. “Shit. I-” he said, a failed attempt to put his feelings into words. “Fuck,” he moaned, instead swiping his thumb over Forrest’s cheekbone and down to where the man’s cheek dipped in with the suction he was maintaining. Forrest closed his eyes briefly, and then the hand beneath Alex was sliding further, and was pressing up and back behind Alex’s sac, massaging his prostate through the skin of his perineum.

Alex’s moan caught in his throat and his supporting arm failed him - he fell to his elbow and quickly retracted his other arm for support. His tight control failed in that moment, and he gave an aborted buck up into Forrest, who gagged and drew his head back suddenly, Alex’s cock falling messily from his lips as he coughed a little. “Fuck,” Alex panted, his body shaking with pleasure and his voice warbling. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he said, forcing himself to sit up all the way so he could cup Forrest’s jaw in his hands. Forrest looked wrecked; the water in his eyes had spilled over, leaving tiny tracks down his cheeks. His lips were swollen and wet, but crooked into a tired smile which softened as Alex wiped the tears from his face.

“No,” he started, and the sound of his voice pierced through Alex - it was just as wrecked as the rest of him. Forrest cleared his throat and tried again: “No, it’s all right. I probably should have warned you,” he said with a small laugh. “But I wanted to take you as deep as I could,” he added. “And I want to feel you cum,” he said, a filthy smirk on his lips. Alex raked his gaze over the face of the man before him, marvelling at the openness with which Forrest spoke and acted, and at the desire and shades of embarrassment plain on his face. He wanted to reward that openness with openness in kind, but anxiety still spooled in his gut over baring himself so plainly.

“You’re amazing,” Alex breathed instead, his thumb tracing a path to Forrest’s lips and caressing them gently. Forrest visibly brightened at the praise, and he reached between them to Alex’s straining erection. Leaning forward just slightly, he was able to bring it to his lips, and Alex moved his hands to the back of the other man’s head, brushing through the hair at Forrest’s nape, and his shoulders and neck; anywhere he could reach.

Forrest was gentler this time, remaining nearer the tip of Alex’s cock and using suction and his tongue in a way that drove Alex quickly back up to the brink of orgasm. Forrest’s ringless hands pumped steadily everywhere his lips didn’t meet, and alternated teasing Alex’s balls and his perineum, though he didn’t stray towards Alex’s prostate again, his hand too confined between the bed and Alex’s skin. It didn’t matter to Alex, who was sweltering in his clothing and desperate to tumble over the edge of orgasm. “Forrest,” he panted. “Forrest, Forrest,” he repeated, apparently unable to form any words beyond the other man’s name. His fingers slipped over Forrest’s sweat-slick shoulders and up his neck, cradling his jaw as the man worked his cock. A desperate-sounding moan fell from Forrest’s lips as he upped his pace once again, bringing Alex closer and closer to climax. “Forrest,” Alex moaned again, just as desperate. “I’m gonna cum,” he managed.

Forrest backed up and dug his tongue ruthlessly into Alex’s slit, grazing his teeth along the sensitive flesh of the head. That was the end for Alex, who felt himself reach his peak and spill abruptly against Forrest’s lips. The historian took some of it into his mouth and then pulled off to pump the rest of Alex's cum onto his face, letting it splatter his nose and cheeks and swollen lips. Alex curled his fingers into Forrest’s hair as he came, hips jutting of their own accord and a series of pleas tumbling from his lips. Forrest stroked him through it, releasing his cock just as it became too much. Alex gasped in a breath, body aflame and lungs grateful for sweet-tasting air. 

When he’d regained his senses and full command of his body, Alex cradled Forrest’s face again, marvelling at him as the man returned his gaze, smiling and looking fully pleased with himself. “Come here,” Alex said. “Please,” he added as he scooted back up the bed, twisting his body to allow more room for the other man.

Forrest followed him up, leaning into his space as Alex reached out and drew him close. He kissed Forrest messily, paying no mind to the taste of himself in the other man’s mouth and to the stickiness on his face. Forrest groaned, and the airman pushed him gently down, coaxing him onto his back. Once Forrest was down, Alex readjusted himself - slipped his pants up enough to move, repositioned himself so he could lean out over the other man. After a brief adjustment for his prosthetic on the bed, he kneeled over Forrest, stripping his button up to toss aside and pulling his undershirt up and over his head much as the other man had done earlier.

Alex sighed as the cool air washed over his overheated skin, and then he was reaching down, shirt in hand, to gently wipe at the cum on Forrest’s face. He knew it was likely already sticky and uncomfortable, but it didn’t feel right to leave the man debauched even while he planned to get him off. 

Forrest smiled under his ministrations, laughing a little as Alex scrubbed gently at a sticky eyebrow. Forrest himself seemed more interested in exploring the skin now exposed to him, hands wandering reverently over Alex’s chest and arms. “So sexy,” he murmured, an echo of his words at the paintball field. “Damn.” he added under his breath. "That was really, really hot-"

Alex leaned in again to capture those lips with his own, shirt tossed aside and a hand dropping to press between Forrest’s legs, indicating they weren't done. The bulge there was hot and hard as Forrest bucked up in surprise, and Alex felt a sympathetic pang at the thought of those tight pants pressed against what was clearly a very eager erection. He felt less graceful than Forrest as he undid the other man’s jeans and slipped a hand inside, but Forrest arched his back and gave a blissful moan as Alex realized the other man wasn't wearing underwear. “Oh, fuck, Alex,” Forrest pleaded, “Please, god, please that feels so good. Yes-”

Forrest’s cock was hot and leaking in Alex's hand. Alex stole a glance downward and admired the trail of hair from earlier, this time leading him straight to Forrest’s cock, which curved prettily and whose head was so flushed Alex was certain the other man would burst any moment. He didn’t make Forrest - or himself - wait any longer: he stroked that leaking cock determinedly, his confidence growing with each desperate plea for more, and every gasped version of his name that left Forrest’s lips.

As Alex picked up his pace, trying to find the right amount of friction for a dry handy, Forrest threw his head back against the bed and squirmed. His hips bucked into Alex’s grip and it was clear he was approaching climax quickly. After watching Forrest suck cock so attentively just minutes ago, Alex observed the other man’s rapid loss of control with fascination. He leaned in closer, so Forrest’s cock was bumping his stomach on every upward pump, and pressed his nose against the other man’s. “Hey,” he said gently, tenderly, kissing the side of Forrest’s mouth as the man opened his eyes and met his gaze. “Cum for me?” he said, phrased as both a question and a command, and Forrest cried out and bucked obediently into Alex’s tightened grip until his body tensed. And then there was heat spilling all over Alex’s hand and across his lower stomach.

Just as Forrest had done, Alex milked the other man until he was spent, only releasing his softening cock at the first shiver of overstimulation. Alex smiled softly down at Forrest as he melted against the bed and caught his breath, chest heaving and arms splayed to either side, body limp beneath Alex’s own. The airman ran a hand down the other man’s chest, brushing over nipples and splaying fingers over Forrest’s solar plexus to feel the man’s breath begin to calm. More affection was blossoming in Alex's stomach and chest, and he tilted his head slightly to watch the expressions play across Forrest’s face as the historian regained his senses. Eventually, brown eyes slid open and met his own.

“Damn, Captain.” he said, voice low and still a little gravelled from earlier. “That was…”

“Everything you asked for?” Alex interrupted, quirking an eyebrow. Forrest laughed.

“More than that!” he said, grinning. “Although I really meant to take care of myself so you wouldn’t have to,” he added. He raised a hand to run knuckles down Alex's face gently. Alex kissed him again, taking his time to express his contentment before responding.

“I wanted to,” he said simply. “I’m glad I did.” Forrest matched his smile and ran his hands over Alex’s biceps, giving them a squeeze before dropping them down to lay atop Alex’s own. 

They basked in each other's warmth for several moments of comfortable silence, until presumably the mess on Forrest's face became annoying. “I guess we’re both due for a wash up,” he said. Alex glanced sympathetically at the eyebrow he’d been tending to earlier, which was now clearly in need of actual soap and water.

“Yeah, the bathroom’s an ensuite,” he said. A moment more of gazing down at the man beneath him and Alex could no longer make excuses for delaying, so he sat up, carefully. His prosthetic was already complaining at his abuse. Forrest followed him up and perched on the edge of the bed as Alex rubbed at his leg a little. “You can go ahead,” he said, and Forrest hesitated only a moment before placing a kiss on Alex's lips and standing. He closed the door part way after him, and then Alex heard the water running.

Alex sat with himself for several minutes in silence, wondering what his next move should be. He regretfully felt that contended warmth he'd had slip away as he began agonizing over proper postquoital etiquette. Soon enough, he heard the water switch off, and moments later a freshly-showered Forrest was standing in the doorway, hair wet and towel slung over his shoulder. His pants were fully on and zipped tight. “I found a towel in the drawer; I hope you don’t mind,” he said, approaching the bed and sitting beside Alex again. He smelled like mouthwash and Alex's soap.

"No, of course not,” Alex responded. He could hear the distance returning to his voice, but he didn’t know how to draw it back, to return to the playfulness they’d had just before. Forrest seemed on the verge of saying something, so Alex cut him off. “I’ll be back in a minute; just going to rinse off a little,” he said, standing abruptly and limping to the bathroom. He shut the door behind him.

Alex washed his belly, chest, and cock with a wet washcloth and soap, and brushed his teeth for lack of much else to delay him. Then he sat on the toilet and  _ thought _ . Did he really send Forrest away after all of that, because of his own insecurities? Did he ask him to stay? The historian already knew about the prosthetic, but he hadn’t really  _ seen _ it yet, let alone what Alex looked like without it on. The airman dropped his head to his hands and curled his fingers into his hair, feeling the last vestiges of that intimate warmth slipping away as anxiety curdled his gut once again.

There was a knock at the door, a gentle  _ raprap _ that brought Alex out of his reverie and made him realize he’d been sitting in the bathroom for several minutes of silence. “Alex? Hey, I brought your water from earlier. I just want to make sure you’re ok before I head out,” Forrest’s voice was clear through the door of the bathroom, probably sourced just on the other side of the wood. “If...that sounds good?” he asked, the question clear in his voice but the uncertainty a little more subtle. Alex stood and opened his mouth to accept the out Forrest was offering him, but his heart clenched in rebellion at the thought of pushing Forrest away when the man had been nothing but warm and open with him.

His silence had apparently drawn more out of Forrest, who asked, “Or...I could stay tonight, if you’d like; leave in the morning?” from beyond the door. Alex figured he couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever, and any longer was going to make it clear he  _ was _ hiding, so he opened the door and met Forrest’s worried gaze head on. Forrest had turned the bedside lamp on at some point, casting the room in a soft glow behind him. The historian was holding two glasses of water, as promised, and Alex took one gratefully. Forrest offered him a small smile to go along with it.

“Sorry. I was…" Alex trailed off and restarted. "Stay, tonight,” he said decisively even as his pulse started to race. "I mean, if you want to. It’s late and we’re both exhausted-” he stopped that train of thought before it bled into an excuse. “-and I’d like you to stay,” he finished, looking up to find Forrest beaming at him.

“Hell yeah!” he said enthusiastically. “I’d like that, too.” Alex returned a tentative smile and took a long sip of water, feeling some of that warmth from earlier creeping back in. 

“Would you mind getting the hall light out there?” he asked as he made his way back to the bed and set the glass down before sitting. “The switch is right in the entranceway,” he added, facing away from the other man and running a hand down over his right leg.

Forrest got the hint and left the room, taking much longer than was necessary to find and flick one lightswitch. Alex could hear him checking the front door and poking around a little as Alex moved through the familiar ritual of removing his prosthetic made unfamiliar by the feeling of another person nearby. By the time Forrest returned to the bedroom and closed the door, Alex had stripped to his boxers and removed his prosthetic. He was swinging himself onto the bed when Forrest turned, and Alex froze, his heart constricting. But Forrest didn’t seem perturbed. He simply approached the bed and shimmied out of his pants once again, sighing in relief as he lifted the covers and slid into the bed.

“You’ve got some nice sheets here, Captain,” he teased, reaching down to pull his phone out of his pants and tap away at it for a moment. Alex used that time to slip under the covers as well, also sighing as his body stretched out. A  _ pling _ sounded from Forrest’s phone and the man tapped away again briefly and set it on the bedside table nearest him. “Just making sure Buffy's taken care of, so I don’t have to rush off in the morning,” he said in explanation, scooting further down the bed and stretching out on his side next to Alex. He smiled - Alex could see it even in his periphery - and folded an arm under his head. “Thank you for inviting me to stay, Alex. I know it’s a tough decision,” he said. Alex turned his head to look at him, taking in the man’s unabashed expression, the fondness in his eyes, the dorky smile still on his lips. He rolled to his side, too, and reached out to stroke Forrest’s arm, shoulder to hand.

“You’ve been so patient with me,” Alex said softly, inching his body closer until he could feel the warmth radiating off of Forrest’s body. “I have a lot of crap to get through. But I want to get through it. I wanna be able to kiss you all the time in front of strangers, and not hear my dad’s voice shaming for it. I wanna go on dates, and hold your hand, and sing sappy love songs and not care what the world thinks. And I want to-” he cut himself off, considering his choice of words as Forrest brought his hand up to kiss his knuckles and then palm tenderly. “I want to be comfortable in and proud of the body I have,” he finished, feeling his face warm. “I want to have sex without worrying whether you’re gonna be uncomfortable, or I’m that my leg is gonna be a problem somehow, or that the prosthetic will run you off,” Alex gushed, the words coming quickly once he'd started.

Forrest let him finish, kissing his palm again before saying, “Alex, you’re gonna do all those things - for yourself - because you’re one of the strongest people I know, and a literal goddamned hero," he said, and Alex smiled. "And I’m gonna be grateful to bear witness to it, for as long as you’ll have me,” he said simply. “I wanna be here to support and validate you. I wanna be here in whatever capacity you’ll let me be - whether it be TV and dinner, or staying the night and helping you write those sappy love songs. Maybe someday I’ll even get a song of my own,” he said with a smirk, and Alex didn’t voice his thoughts at how very likely that was indeed. Instead, he rolled to his back just long enough to click the bedside light off and turned back towards Forrest, who readily gathered Alex into his arms and slotted their bodies together. “Thank you,” Alex murmured against Forrest’s neck, where he’d laid his cheek and was quickly falling asleep, despite his desire to spend more time cuddling.

“Goodnight, Alex. Sweet dreams,” Forrest replied, a half-understood phrase as Alex drifted to the other man carding fingers through his hair. "I can't wait to wake up beside you." A kiss to Alex's forehead and the airman was gone to blissful sleep.


End file.
